Winbook XL User manual

XL Manual

XL Chapter One: Getting Started __________________2

XL Chapter Two: Basic Computing ________________20

XL Chapter Three: Mobile Computing ______________ 50

XL Chapter Four: Desktop Operation _______________71

XL Chapter Five: PC Cards (PCMCIA) _____________84

XL Chapter Six: Upgrading ______________________93

XL Chapter Seven: Configuring and Maintenance ______109

XL Chapter Eight: Troubleshooting _________________119

Chapter One: Getting Started

Warning: Continuous use of a keyboard may cause repetitive stress injuries or discomfort,

including carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis and tenosynovitis. You should seek medical

advice if you feel any aching, numbing or tingling in your arms, wrists or hands.

Suggestions for maximizing comfort in using a keyboard include:

Take frequent breaks from typing

Maintain a straight wrist position

Avoid resting on your wrists while typing

Use a light touch on the keys

Ensure that your chair, work surface, monitor and keyboard are in the correct

positions to keep your back and neck straight, your shoulders relaxed and your elbows

at your sides.

Consult your doctor or other health professional for medical advice on how to reduce your

risk of injury or discomfort from continuous keyboard use.

Your WinBook XL has all the power and can perform all of the functions of a desktop computer,

but its slim design and light weight provide you with portability that can free you to use the

computer almost anywhere you go. The battery power of your computer allows you to use the

computer even where there are no electrical outlets.

In addition to a fast processor, fast video, a large screen and a large capacity hard drive that make

your WinBook XL a match for desktop systems, there are several features of your WinBook XL

that make it a particularly powerful tool for your computing needs:

Television Receiver Output: The TV-out port of your computer permits you to redirect the

screen output to a television screen, for quick and easy large-screen viewing.

MPEG-1 Software: Many CD-ROM video disks use MPEG-1 compression to store video clips.

Your WinBook XL has built in drivers for MPEG-1 that allow for fast decompression of these

clips and smooth CD-ROM video performance.

Flexibility: Easily upgraded memory and hard drive, a docking port and PCMCIA slots with

Zoomed Video (ZV) support provide you with the ability to quickly change and expand your

system to meet new demands as they arise.

Hardware

Inventory

When you unpack your WinBook XL, check that all the items that you ordered are present and in

good condition. Check the inventory checklist that came in the WinBook XL box to be sure that

all the components and optional components that you ordered are included. If anything is

missing or damaged, contact Customer Service immediately (the Customer Service number can

be found on the "Read Me Before Using" card that was enclosed in your box).

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: Save the inner box and all inserts and inner packaging. If you later need to

ship or store the system, you will find these handy to have.]

WinBook XL, with built-in CD-ROM drive and Floppy Drive

Primary Battery (installed)

AC Power Adapter

Power Cord

This Manual

Floppy Disks with additional software and drivers

Windows 95 manual and CD

Any optional components ordered (including optional installed touchpad).

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: All software is preloaded onto the hard drive of your WinBook XL. You

can store the included disks and CD in a safe place. Copies of the Windows 95 installation files

are also stored on your hard disk, so that you will not need the CD to add Windows 95 features

or drivers to your system.]

[Sidebar: Exclamation icon: After your initial system start-up, store your Windows 95 manual in

a safe place. It contains your Certificate of Authenticity number for Windows 95, which you

might need in case of a reinstallation of Windows 95. If you lose this number, you cannot be

issued another number without paying for a new copy of Windows 95.]

Note: The WinBook XL uses proprietary accessories (such as a port replicator and SO-DIMM

modules) and you should only use those items that have been approved for your computer.

Contact WinBook for information about obtaining approved accessories. If you use items that are

not approved for use with this computer, you might cause the computer to malfunction or to emit

electromagnetic radiation in excess of local regulations. This does not apply to non-proprietary

accessories such as PC Cards, USB devices, printers, etc.

The WinBook XL

Before you begin using your WinBook XL, you should take a moment to familiarize yourself

with the various ports, bays, connectors, and indicators that make up your system.

THE FRONT

The front release latch is used for releasing the display panel to reveal the LCD screen and

keyboard of the WinBook XL. To open the display panel: slide the release latch to the right and

gently lift the display panel to a vertical position.

THE RIGHT SIDE

The CD-ROM drive is built into the system. To open the drive, turn on the system and press the

release button. The door will slide open.

The IR (infrared) port allows you to connect to another system using IR technology. You must

place the port within two feet of the other IR port for proper communication.

The security anchor at the front of the right side of the system can be opened by using the release

on the bottom of the case. See the section below on the Bottom of the system for information.

THE REAR

The back of the system has two doors that cover I/O ports for your WinBook XL. The door on

the left flips down to reveal the docking port of your system. This door should be closed when

the system is undocked. This will help prevent damage to the port, as well as preventing the door

from being damaged in transport. To close this door, flip it back into position until it clicks

securely in place. The door to the right houses the SVGA, PS/2, TV-out, USB, serial and parallel

ports for your system.

Between these two I/O doors is the AC connection for your system. The AC connector should

only be used with the proper AC adapter supplied by WinBook.

The 80-pin Docking Port provides a connection to an optional port replicator. It duplicates the

rear connectors and adds in a second PS/2 port (so that you can connect both an external

keyboard and external mouse), a stereo line-out, and a DC power-in jack. The port replicator also

features a Game/MIDI port, not available on the actual WinBook XL. The port replicator has

only a single USB port, but, since you can chain USB devices together, this does not limit your

USB use.

The SVGA port allows you to connect any standard computer monitor to your system.

The PS/2 port allows you to connect an external PS/2 keyboard or PS/2 mouse to your WinBook

XL.

The TV-out port allows you to connect your WinBook XL to a television receiver and direct the

screen output to that receiver.

The USB (Universal Serial Bus) port of your WinBook XL allows you to add a wide variety of

devices to your machine. The USB port can allow you to connect up to 128 devices through this

single port, at very high data transfer rates of up to 12 Mbps (Mega-bits per second).

The 9-pin Serial Port provides a connection for serial devices, including a serial external mouse.

The serial port is designated as COM1.

The Parallel Port provides a connection for a parallel printer or other parallel port device.

THE LEFT SIDE

The lock slot allows you to connect a special computer lock to secure your system. You can

purchase this lock at most computer retailers.

Opening the PCMCIA door reveals the PCMCIA (or PC Card) slots. PCMCIA slots accept Type

I, II, or III PCMCIA cards or a ZV (Zoomed Video) card in the following combinations:

Two Type I

Two Type II

One Type I and One Type II

One Type III

One ZV connection (to the lower slot)

The eject buttons allow you to remove PC Cards from your system. See Chapter Five for more

detailed instructions for using your PCMCIA slots.

The three audio jacks provide you with the ability to connect your system's audio to direct audio

input to the system (using the "line-in" jack), to direct audio output to external speakers or

headphones (using the "line out" jack), or receive input from an external microphone (using the

microphone jack). Using external speakers or headphones will disable the internal speakers;

using an external microphone will disable the internal microphone.

The fax/modem line-in jack provides the connection for your internal fax/modem. This jack does

not provide a pass-through option for connecting a phone to this same line. You can obtain

adapters that will allow you to connect a phone to the same line as your WinBook XL.

The floppy disk drive is built into your system, but it can be removed to allow access to the

removable hard drive.

THE BOTTOM

Battery bay has two release latches: a center latch, which is slid toward the back of the system,

and an edge latch which is slid toward the middle of the machine. After the releases are moved in

this order, you will be able to angle the battery from the bay.

The memory compartment covers are secured by a screw through the right memory compartment

cover. Once this screw is removed, the right cover can be moved and lifted from the case. This

will then allow the left cover to be removed from its compartment.

The floppy drive release is secured by a screw. Once the screw is removed, the release can be

moved and the drive unit angled out of its bay. This will allow access to the removable hard

drive unit beneath it.

Your WinBook XL has a non-proprietary security anchor built into the bottom of case, at the

front left corner. To use this security anchor, suspend or shut down the system and close the

display panel. Turn the system upside down and slide clip for the metal anchor toward the edge

to move the metal anchor out of the cabinet. You can now secure the WinBook XL to any secure

object with a standard lock or cable.

INDICATORS, MICROPHONE, SPEAKERS and POWER BUTTON

The power button for your system is located just above the keyboard on the right hand side.

The built-in speakers are located at the right and left edges of the system, just above the

keyboard.

The built-in microphone is located in the small hole at the right of the system just below the

keyboard.

Your system has two sets of LEDs that indicate system status: one set on the hinges of the

display panel and one set just above the keyboard.

The power LEDs located on the hinge of the display panel indicate the current power use and

battery status of your WinBook XL. These functions of these LEDs are indicated by icons: a

plug, a battery and a battery with a line through it (left to right). These LEDs can be seen

whether the display panel is opened or closed.

When the computer is turned on and using power supplied by the AC adapter the green light

above the left icon (plug) will turn on.

When the computer is turned on and using power supplied by the internal battery, the green

light above the middle icon (battery) will turn on. (When the battery is low on charge and

only has enough power to run the computer for a few minutes, the green light will begin to

flash on and off.)

When the AC adapter is recharging the internal battery, the amber light above the battery

icon with a line through it will turn on. When the battery is fully charged, the light will turn

off. When battery power reaches a critical level, this light will flash red and the system will

shut down.

The activity LEDs located just above the keyboard indicate activity in the system. From left to

right they are:

CD-ROM Drive Activity: Indicates when the computer is reading information from the CD-

ROM drive.

Hard Disk Drive Activity: Indicates when the computer is reading from or writing to the hard

disk drive.

Floppy Disk Drive Activity: Indicates when the computer is reading from or writing to the

floppy disk drive.

Num Lock: Indicates that the Num Lock function has been activated. The embedded number

pad will be enabled.

Caps Lock: Indicates that the Caps Lock function has been activated.

Scroll Lock: Indicates that the Scroll Lock function has been activated. In certain programs,

this will prevent the screen from scrolling.

Power On

The first time you use your WinBook XL, use your AC power adapter. This will allow your

battery to fully charge. It is recommended that you then allow the battery to fully discharge and

recharge three times. This will help calibrate the electronics that monitor and maintain the

battery charge. After those three full discharges, you can partially discharge or charge your

system as your use demands, although you should allow a full discharge/recharge periodically to

help optimize battery life. See Chapter Three for more information on conditioning and

maintaining your battery efficiency.

Connect your AC Adapter to your system. Connect the power cord to the adapter and connect the

cord to a wall outlet or power strip. Slide the display panel release latch to the right and gently

lift the display panel until fully vertical. Press the power button on your computer to initiate a

boot of the system.

[Sidebar: The sharpness of the screen will vary with the angle between your eyes and the screen.

Try moving the display panel slightly forwards or back to find the optimal intensity.]

Your system should pass right through the memory tests and setup to start loading Windows 95.

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: Every effort has been made to make certain that your WinBook XL system

will function properly, but, if you should experience a problem when you turn on the computer,

refer to Chapter Eight: Troubleshooting. If you cannot find the answer there or are unsure how to

proceed, contact Technical Support (at the number indicated on the "Read Me First" card that

came with your system).]

When you first start your new WinBook XL, you will need your Windows 95 manual. On its

cover is your registration number for Window 95. During this first setup, you can click on the

Next button to move to the next step. Clicking on the Back button allows you to return the

previous step and review the information entered during that step.

You will be asked the language for your system and the layout of your keyboard. Select the

appropriate language and keyboard type for your system.

You will then be asked to type your name and the name of your company (if applicable). Be

careful to enter this information correctly, since this information will be entered into the

Windows Registry for your WinBook XL. Correcting a misspelled name at a later date will

require you to use the REGEDIT program, which is a program that you should completely

avoid unless you are an experienced user of Windows 95.

You will be shown the EULA (End User's License Agreement). Read this agreement and

then accept its terms by clicking on the "I accept this agreement" checkbox.

In the next window you will be asked to enter the registration number from the Certificate of

Authenticity (COA) on the front cover of your Windows 95 manual.

Setup will now configure your system, registering your hardware and software into the

Windows Registry. The system will restart to finish the configuration process.

When the computer restarts, you will be asked to setup your printer. If you do not have a

printer, you can skip this step. If you are familiar with the process of setting up your printer,

you can complete that setup now. If you are not familiar with the process, you can refer to the

section on installing a printer in Chapter Four for detailed instructions for this process.

You will then be asked to set the time zone for your location. If the date and time for your

system are not correct, you can correct them here.

Finally, you might be given an opportunity to set up a set of backup disk for Windows 95.

Since your unit ships with a boot diskette from WinBook (which contains the necessary files

for your hardware configuration) and a CD-ROM copy of Windows, you can skip over the

process of creating a backup copy of Windows 95 if you do not want to use the 30+ disks to

make the backup.

[Sidebar: Eyeball icon: In some cases, you may first see a Safe Recovery message. This message

appears because your computer has been previously turned on and the Setup program was not

completed. You can ignore this message and continue with your installation.]

[Sidebar: Exclamation icon: Remember to store your Windows 95 manual is a secure place. You

will need the registration number on the cover if you ever need to reload Windows 95, such as

when purchasing a new hard drive or repairing a damaged hard drive. If you lose this registration

number, you will have to purchase an additional copy of Windows 95.]

[Sidebar: Once you are experienced with Windows 95, you will find that you can change the

look and configuration of the desktop from the defaults provided for you.]

If you purchased additional software with your system, you will need to install that software

yourself before you can use it (which is discussed below). To run the preloaded software in

Window 95 (which includes applets such as Wordpad and Paint), you can use the Start option on

the Windows 95 taskbar. Select ^Programs^ from the Start menu, then find the program menu

for the software that you wish to run. As you gain experience with Windows 95, you will find

that there are other ways to access programs (such as shortcuts) that may be easier for the way

you work. Explore your system and learn its capabilities. The various options are there to allow

you to work in the way most comfortable for you.

Your version of Windows 95 also comes preloaded with software for online service providers.

You can double-click on the ^Online Services^ folder and then double-click on an icon to

activate the associated software. The folder also includes an icon where you can find information

about the term of the services.

If you explore the start menu, you will also notice a WinBook folder in the program groups. This

folder holds your WinBook XL Help file and possibly other files that contain information about

your WinBook XL. The WinBook XL Help file contains the information in this manual, as well

as other information to help you run your WinBook XL.

The Keyboard

Your main interface with your computer will be your keyboard. If you are unfamiliar with the

standard PC keyboard, some of its keys are explained in this section. The keyboard has all the

standard computing typing keys and some control keys. If you are not familiar with the computer

control keys, the major ones are discussed below.

The [Alt] and [Ctrl] keys, like the [Shift] key alter the function of the traditional typing keys and

the function keys. Depending on the software you are using, the actual function of the [Alt] and

[Ctrl] keys will vary. They might also be used in combination with each other and/or with the

[Shift] key to provide further possible combinations of functions with the typing keys. For

example, the [Alt]+[Ctrl]+[Del] combination is used to close down an application in Windows

95 that has "hung" or can be used to provide a warm reboot of the computer system.

The function keys (F1-F12) serve different purposes and carry out different tasks depending on

the application you have running. They are often used in combination with control keys. You

should check the documentation for your application, especially sections on keyboard shortcuts,

for information about what the keys do in that application.

The cursor (arrow) keys (which are all located in the lower right corner of your keyboard) and

the [Pg Up], [Pg Dn], [Home] and [End] keys (which are located along the right edge of the

keyboard) allow you move the active cursor of the computer to various locations on the screen or

within the document. The [Ins] and [Del] keys at the bottom of the keyboard to the left of the

cursor keys allow you to insert and delete characters.

Your computer also has an embedded numeric keypad. This numeric keypad is printed in green

on the keyboard. If the NumLock ([Fn]+[Ins]) is engaged, the pad will allow you to type

numbers as you would on a 10-key pad. If the NumLock is not engaged, the keys perform their

normal alphanumeric function.

Your keyboard also has two Windows 95 keys: a Start key (which bears the Windows logo),

which allows you to pull up the Start menu, and a Menu key (which looks like a pull-down

menu), which pulls up the popup menu in programs that are Windows 95 compatible (this key

acts just like a click of the right mouse button).

Keyboard System Controls

In addition to its function as a normal keyboard, your keyboard also contains controls for various

aspects of your WinBook XL, including the intensity of the LCD screen. These controls appear

in green on the keys and are activated by pressing the [Fn] key (located at the lower left corner of

your keyboard) in conjunction with the key for the specific control function (or by holding the

[Fn] key while pressing the key for the specific control function). Most such combinations will

call up an associated popup menu.

Keys Function(

s)

[Fn]+[F1] Puts the

LCD

display

into a

standby

mode

[Fn]+[F2]

If an

external

monitor

or

television

receiver

is

present,

you can

toggle 1)

to an

external

monitor,

2) to a

TV

receiver

—only if

configure

d in the

Setup

program,

3) to a

simultane

ous

display

on the

screen

and a

monitor,

and 4)

back to

the built-

in screen.

[Fn]+[F3]

Sends

your

system

into

Standby

mode to

conserve

power

[Fn]+[F4] Suspends

current

work to

RAM or

Hard

Drive

and

powers

down

system

[Fn]+[F6] Decrease

s screen

brightnes

s

[Fn]+[F7] Increases

screen

brightnes

s

[Fn]+[F8] Decrease

s audio

volume

[Fn]+[F9]

Increases

audio

volume

[Fn]+[F10] Mutes

system

audio

[Fn]+[F11] Maximiz

es audio

volume

[Fn]+[Q] Decrease

s audio

bass

[Fn]+[W] Increases

audio

bass

[Fn]+[E] Decrease

s audio

treble

[Fn]+[R]

Increases

audio

treble

[Fn]+[T] Shifts

audio to

left

speaker

[Fn]+[Y] Shifts

audio to

the right

speake

Mouse Buttons & Pointing Devices

Your WinBook XL comes with a pointing stick device, can be configured for an optional

touchpad pointing device and can support an external mouse via the PS/2 or serial port. All of

these pointing devices can be used simultaneously.

Pointing Stick

The pointing stick device is the small red knob (it looks like a pencil eraser) that sits just below

the [G] and [H] keys of your keyboard. This pressure-sensitive device translates the pressure of

your fingertip on the knob into movement of the cursor. Shift the pressure of your fingertip

slightly in the direction in which you want to move the cursor. The two switches below the space

bar on the keyboard serve as the left and right mouse buttons (if you have the optional TouchPad

device installed, the buttons will be incorporated into the design of the TouchPad and can be

used with either the pointing stick or the TouchPad).

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: When the rubber cover of the pointing stick starts to wear down, you can

purchase additional covers from WinBook.]

Touchpad

The touchpad, a rectangular electronic panel located just beneath your keyboard, is a factory-

installed pointing device option for the WinBook XL. If you have selected this option, you can

use the pressure-sensitive panel of the touchpad as a pointing device. Place your finger gently on

the surface of the touchpad and slide it to move the cursor. You can use the buttons along the

touchpad as left and right mouse buttons. You can also tap lightly on the touchpad, which the

system will recognize as a left mouse click.

You can click and drag an item with the touchpad by pointing at the item, tapping to select it,

then sliding your finger in the direction of the movement desired.

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: If you decide to add a touchpad to your WinBook XL at a later time, you

will need to return the system to the manufacturer to have the touchpad installed.]

Use of an external pointing device with your WinBook XL is discussed in Chapter Four.

No matter which pointing device you use, the mouse speed for your WinBook XL system can be

adjusted to accommodate your personal preferences. You can alter the mouse speed for

applications running in Windows 95 by accessing the ^Mouse^ selection in the ^Control

Panel^ (^Start/Settings/Control Panel^). The options in this menu will allow you to alter the

double-click speed (the time between clicks that the computer will recognize as a double-click

rather than as two separate clicks) as well as the speed at which the pointer moves. You can also

use the menus provided here to alter the pointing device for left-handed users.

LCD Display

Your WinBook XL comes with a back-lit LCD display panel. The intensity of the panel will vary

slightly with your angle to the screen. You can adjust the angle of the panel to provide optimal

clarity. You can also adjust the brightness of the screen by using the [Fn]+[F6] key combination

(to darken the screen) or the [Fn]+[F7] key combination (to brighten the screen).

Depending on the display type that you have purchased, your screen will either support a

resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels with up to 256K colors or a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels with

up to 256K colors. If you use the Windows Display Properties window (see below) to change

down to a resolution lower than the standard resolution of your screen, the display will not

occupy the full size of the built-in screen (although it might on an external monitor). Notice that

when you put your computer into the DOS mode, which uses the VGA resolution (640 x 480) as

a default, the display will be stretched to fit the full screen. When you are displaying the video on

the built-in screen, you cannot choose a higher resolution than the standard resolution. However,

you can use a higher resolution when you output the notebook's video to an external monitor that

supports high resolutions.

You can quickly adjust the resolution and number of color settings through Windows 95's

Display Properties window. To open this window, locate the display icon on the taskbar (the

video screen icon).

Click on this icon to bring up the display menu.

You can now choose from the available display options, including window colors and

backgrounds. For more information on video resolutions, see the section in Chapter Four on

using an external monitor.

Battery & Power Saving

When the AC Adapter is connected to your WinBook XL, your battery will charge whether the

computer is on, off, or in the power saving mode. It will, however, charge much faster if the

computer is off.

When your battery charge level gets low, you will receive several warnings.

When the charge starts to get low, an exclamation mark will appear beside the battery icon

on the taskbar.

When about 10 minutes of battery power remain, you will receive warnings: the system will

beep once to warn you that you have entered this low-charge state, the Battery Charge

indicator (the middle LED on the display panel hinge) will flash about once per second and

the battery icon on the taskbar will flash about once per second.

When about 5 minutes of battery power remain, you will receive additional warnings: the

system will beep twice, the Battery Charge indicator (the middle LED on the display panel

hinge) will flash about twice per second and the battery icon on the taskbar will flash about

twice per second.

When the battery reaches a critical level, Windows will pop up a warning telling you to

switch to AC power or suspend.

If your battery drains completely without being placed into the suspend mode, you might lose

information which has not been saved. It is a good idea when using battery power to place the

unit in the suspend mode if you think you will be leaving the unit for any substantial length of

time.

[Sidebar: Eyeball icon: Your unit will come set to enter the Suspend mode on low battery. This

will help prevent data loss. You can alter this setting in the Setup program (see Chapter Seven).]

To check your battery charge level:

Battery Icon

The battery icon provides a rough indicator of the battery charge level by starting out all blue

(full charge) and becoming more gray as the charge level drops. You can also hold the cursor

over the icon to get a popup reading of battery charge level. If you have two batteries in place,

the number provided will be a percentage of the total charge level of both batteries combined. To

determine the charge level of each battery, use the popup Status menu.

Control Panel

Clicking on the ^Power^ icon in the ^Control Panel^ brings up the Windows 95 power

management menu. You can get a reading on the current battery charge level here. You can also

make changes here to the power management settings used during Windows 95 sessions.

POWER MANAGEMENT

Your WinBook XL should run for over three hours on a single, fully charged battery and longer

if power management is employed. The key to obtaining optimal battery life for your system is

effective power management. You can set your system for the optimal power management level

for your usage by using the Setup program (see Chapter Seven). You should familiarize yourself

with the various power management features designed into your system so that you can

configure your system for your needs.

Keep in mind that power management takes advantage of the times when you stop using

resources. If you work continuously and use resources extensively, power management will not

be able to take effect and extend battery life.

Audio/Sound

Built-in Speakers

Your WinBook XL comes with built-in audio hardware that plays sounds through the speakers

built into the cabinet of your system. You can adjust the hardware volume, bass, treble and

balance as explained in the keyboard section above. You can also adjust the software controls of

the audio through Windows 95.

You can adjust the audio volume by clicking once on the speaker icon on the taskbar and moving

the volume slide, or by using the volume control knob.

You can adjust the volume, tone and balance of the audio output from your software, by double-

clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar and using the slides in the audio mixer.

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: Connecting external speakers to your WinBook XL disables the built-in

speakers.]

[Sidebar: Eyeball icon: You can also adjust system volume, microphone volume and other audio

settings through the ^Multimedia^ icon in the ^Control Panel.^]

Built-in Microphone

The microphone built into the case of your WinBook XL provides you with an integrated source

for adding sound to your applications or for using the speech functions of your applications. You

will need applications capable of using such sound input to make use of the microphone. The

audio software that is included with your WinBook XL provides one such application.

[Sidebar: Pencil icon: Connecting an external microphone to your WinBook XL disables the

internal microphone.]

[Sidebar: Eyeball icon: Your system will ship with the microphone muted, which helps reduce

feedback when the microphone is not being used by an application. Double-click on the speaker

icon on the taskbar to call up the audio mixer. If the microphone is muted, you can click on its

checkbox to enable the microphone.]

CD-ROM Drive

The CD-ROM drive provides you with a means of having access to programs or data that take up

a lot of disk space, without having to sacrifice a large section of your hard drive for that purpose.

The CD-ROM drive uses data CDs that are capable of holding hundreds of megabytes of data.

The high-speed access rate of your CD-ROM enables it to search that data and retrieve the

specific data that you want very quickly. Data CDs are ROM (Read Only Memory) disks and

cannot be written to with your CD-ROM drive. Their high capacity and fast speed makes them

very useful for programs such as encyclopedias and other reference works that require a lot of

space and a fast search mechanism, and to which you do not need to add data. Your CD drive

can also be used to play audio CDs through the audio hardware built into your WinBook XL.

Your CD-ROM will also be able to read from photo CDs.

You can load a CD into the drive as described below:

Press the Load/Eject button.

The disc tray opens.

Wait until the tray stops. If the tray does not open far enough to insert the CD, gently ease the

tray out until you have enough clearance to insert the CD.

Carefully place the CD (audio or data), with the label side up, on the disc tray.

Be sure to carefully center the CD and press it into place on the loading tray. Since your

WinBook XL is meant to be portable, the CD is secured onto the tray rather than simply

resting in a recess.

Close the tray. Be certain that it is closed completely.

[Sidebar: Eyeball icon. Dirt in the CD tray can affect performance. Be sure to keep the tray

clean.]

In general, your software will control the CD-ROM directly. Data CDs are accessed via the

software--consult your software instructions for the operations of a data CD. Windows 95

compatible CD-ROMs will usually have an autoplay feature that starts the program when the CD

is detected. When the CD-ROM is to be used as an audio CD player, you can still use software to

control the playing and volume of the CD. To adjust the volume of an audio CD playing in

Windows 95, you can single-click (brings up the volume slide) or double-click (brings up the

entire audio mixer window) on the speaker icon beside your clock.

If you need to open the CD drawer when the power is not on, or when the CD-ROM drive is not

in the bay, you can use the emergency release, which is the small hole located on the front of the

drive. Use a paper clip to press on the release inside the hole, then the tray can then be pulled

gently forward until the disc can be retrieved. Slide the tray back into place until you feel it click.

This method is designed to be used occasionally for an emergency retrieval of a disk and should

not be used as a regular method of removing disks. Your drive will last longer if you connect the

drive and remove the disk using the normal unloading method.

Software

Preloaded Software

Your WinBook XL comes preloaded with Windows 95 as its operating system. There is also the

necessary software to use your Infrared (IR) port and audio hardware in Windows 95.

For instructions on using Windows 95, check the Windows 95 manual, which is included in your

WinBook XL box.

In addition to the software that you run and see, there is some preloaded software that runs in the

background. Specific drivers (files that allow pieces of hardware to communicate effectively

with the computer and operating system) have been preloaded for the various hardware units that

have been packaged with your system (e.g. sound card, CD-ROM drive). These drivers are also

important in allowing you to alter certain aspects of your system, such as the resolution of your

video image.

[Sidebar: Exclamation icon: If you have to reinstall Windows 95 at some point, you will lose

some of these drivers. To regain normal functioning of your WinBook XL in such a case, contact

Technical Support for information on obtaining and installing these drivers.]

Adding Software

If you purchased some other software, or if you already own software that you will be installing

on your new WinBook XL system, or if you buy software at a later date, you will need to know

how to install that software on the WinBook XL system.

The installation of software can be done through the ^Add/Remove Program^ icon in the

^Control Panel^. Once in the Add/Remove window, click on Install in the ^Install/Uninstall^

menu. You can also use the instructions provided by the software manufacturer, which will

usually involve clicking on ^Run^ in the ^Start^ menu and typing in the necessary program

information. To complete the installation of the software programs you should follow the

instructions provided with the software. Most software programs (especially Windows programs)

will install directly from within Windows 95. If your program must be installed from within

DOS, you can run DOS within Windows by selecting the MS-DOS option in the

^Start/Programs^ menu.

[Sidebar: Windows 95 software comes with uninstall functions built-in. If you ever want to

remove a Windows 95 program, do not delete it. Use this ^Add/Remove^ feature to remove it.]

XL Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Basic Computing

The WinBook XL is designed to be run straight out of the box, so, if you are an experienced

computer user, you should be ready to go. You can find additional information about specific

features of your system in the chapters that follow and in the WinBook XL Help File in the

WinBook folder on your hard drive. If you are not an experienced user or are new to the

Windows 95 operating system, you should take a few minutes to read this chapter and familiarize

yourself with some basic aspects of computing with your WinBook XL.

RAM

RAM (Random Access Memory), also sometimes referred to as system memory, is the active

memory of your computer, where it holds programs and data that are currently in use. The more

RAM your computer has, the more space it has to run programs. Your WinBook XL came with a

certain amount of RAM (probably 8MB or 16MB), but that is not the limits of the memory used

by Windows 95. Windows 95 will set up a swap file on your hard drive to provide additional

"virtual memory." When the programs you are running need more than the memory available in

RAM on your computer, Windows 95 will "swap" some programs from RAM to that hard drive.

When those bits of memory are needed, Windows 95 will swap them back into RAM (and, if

necessary, swap other bits of memory to the hard drive). Even with the fast data bus and fast hard

drive in your WinBook XL, the reading and writing to the disk is slower than having the data

available in RAM. If you find that your computer is doing a lot of swapping and this is slowing

the response time of your computer, you should consider upgrading the memory in your

computer (see Chapter Six).

Some programs will require a lot of RAM to run. As a result, the number of programs that you

can run simultaneously will vary with the type of applications in use. Your system has ample

space to run several programs, but you should consider adding RAM if you want to use a large

number of programs simultaneously. This will optimize the performance of your WinBook XL.

When you place your WinBook XL in the Suspend mode, it will use a small amount of battery

power to keep the RAM active while shutting down the other elements of your system. When

you resume using the system, your active sessions in RAM will be available just as you left

them. When swapping batteries, the built-in bridge battery will keep the RAM active while the

batteries are switched.

Hard Drives

The hard drive is the fixed disk, which provides the primary storage medium for your data. Most

of your programs and data will be stored on the hard drive. The capacity of your hard drive will

probably be one or more gigabytes (1 gigabyte (GB) = 1,073,741,824bytes or 1024MB). The

programs you run and the data you create will be stored on this hard drive and take up some of

that available space. Programs tend to take up a lot of disk space (some may take up over 100

megabytes, with software suites taking up considerably more), while the files that you create will

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Winbook XL User manual

Winbook XL User manual

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